What you’re about to read was written by our own dear member Lotus. You absolutely, under no circumstances, should in any way perform the actions described here. Now that the obvious is out of the way, I’ll tell you that Lotus is a very intense automotive enthusiast; he just loves cars.

——————————

One thing stoners love to do in legalization arguments is compare weed to alcohol. One of the main problems with alcohol is drunk driving, and many stoners believe that it is less dangerous to drive high, than drunk. In fact, many of us believe we are more cautious when high. I suffer very little impairment when high, unless I’m just stoned out of my gourd, but I will say that people should not be driving while high. Though it may be less dangerous than alcohol, and probably is, you are still not 100%, and that is dangerous, considering most of you have a hard time staying in your own damn lane while sober.

That said, driving while baked is probably the most awesome experience you will ever have, given the right conditions. It’s everything that’s great about weed all in one moving package. If you have a luxury car, or something sporty but still comfortable, just relaxing in the car is great in and of itself. Cool air, comfortable seats, and interesting things to look at.

The wonderful thing about cars is that they are so multi-dimensional you never get bored with them. Pop in your favorite stoner music, and crank up the stereo. This peaceful night out just turned into a jam session. It’s especially nice if you have a good sound system, particularly one with some nice subs. The vibrations feel amazing on the high body, and it’s like getting a really loud massage. Mine actually has a DVD player, and while making it 200% more dangerous, watching music videos while driving around is probably the coolest thing you can ask for.

If you’re like me, you need a little adrenaline rush for the day to be worthwhile. Weaving in and out of traffic like an ass is a great way to achieve this. Please note that while I do weave in and out of traffic, I’m not insane about it, and I never do anything I think I don’t have a 100% chance of completing. Also, if you have a fast car, just accelerating is unbelievably fun, and substantially safer than weaving through traffic.

Finally, cars are really good at taking you places. Unless it’s 5 pm, you can probably have food within about 5 minutes of getting into your car. And the most important thing when you’re stoned is sustenance.

Yep, cars are pretty much the bee’s knees. Driving high is fun as hell, and the fact that you can be entertained pretty much constantly is a definite plus. Road trips with tons of weed, though, I can’t recommend doing something so reckless if you don’t want to go to prison, are extremely fun. Keep an eye out for the 5-0, and happy driving.

8 Responses to “Driving While Stoned”

I drive while high all the time as well. Nearly every day over the summer, and I’ve never gotten a ticket, or even pulled over before. Sober people in the car have testified to how well I drive while high and they usually claim that it’s like I’m driving sober. I’m sure that I’m not the only one.

There are a multitude of things that impair your ability to drive at 100% of your abilities, ranging from nutrient deficiencies to tobacco use, as well as a certain level of alcohol intoxication is considered an acceptably low level of impairment that is deemed negligible but none the less impairing. What this establishes for us is that there is an acceptable level of impairment to our faculties and still safely operate a motor vehicle, meaning that the immediate reaction “if you are on a drug you should not drive” is flawed by the definition of an unsafe driver per state law (DUI and DWI are state laws). As far as the legality of such an act in the hopefully more libertarian future is concerned, I would like to see the effects of marijuana on reaction times and functions of the brain while “intoxicated” as at the moment I can only offer subjective anecdotal evidence and it would a logical fallacy to draw a definite point of view off of that. That all being said I am certainly leaning towards the belief that driving high is no more dangerous than driving with two or three beers consumed in the past hour or so. The good thing about cannabis in comparison to alcohol is the ability to recognize your own impairment and the tinge of paranoia that combines with the slight hallucinogenic nature of the plant, when you’re high – every car is a cop car and you do a damn good job with signals, and there’s no need for cruise control because you are dead set on staying exactly three above. So barring future testing in a more objective setting I would have to say I’m of the opinion that when most people drive moderately, or even very high, they do not pose much, if any, more danger than the average driver, and are certainly safer than your average senior citizen. Then again I say “most” because some people have been known to have… exaggerated effects (I’ve known people who decide they absolutely must get naked or do unexplainable stupid things when high -I don’t chill with the former anymore), but they tend to be first-timers or those who don’t smoke regularly, though because of the subjective nature of drugs and their unpredictability in conjunction with certain people I must say I would support a less-safe-driver law that covers all possible impairments should you be spotted swerving or driving in an unsafe fashion.

Driving while high is indeed fantastic, though arguably still kinda stupid. Not anymore stupid than most other conditions drive under. Really, driving is just kind of a risky activity, no matter how you slice it.

Popnfresh-I agree with you 100%. I would have focused more on pot being safer than alcohol, but everyone already knows this and it probably would have been boring. I have friends that can drive just fine, like myself, while stoned, but I also have others who are…sub par. These are generally the bad drivers to begin with, though.